Friday, June 09, 2006

Summing up the feeling of many

The following is an anonymous comment that appeared in Economists View today:

I come from a long line of moderate Democrats, beginning with working class New Dealers, so I'm not exactly unbiased, but after this week in the Senate I was thinking that the dominance of the current Republican party is truly a sign that America's era has passed. Proposing a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT on gay marriage when we have so many crucial issues facing us? REPEALING the estate tax when our national debt threatens national security? While it is true that these measures failed, I would like to see more citizens expressing outrage that these issues were even considered.

Even post-Vietnam, post-Watergate, I could say, without fear of sentimentality, that I truly loved my country.
I grew up in a time of great partisan discord--the Vietnam era. I have several friends who fought in Vietnam, and they still somewhat believe that we could have "won." But I can argue with them, we can present our points, and I can still feel that we all have the best interests of the nation at heart. George Bush, Bill Frist and Ann Coulter--those who dominate our public life now--I have nothing in common with them. They don't care about what happens to our nation. I can say they are traitors to the America I love, but the majority of my fellow Americans do not feel this way. I read all the analyses, so I'm not naive about the current political situation, and I know some history, so I don't idealize the past. But I still have to say I don't really understand why we have the government that we do today--one where I'm not just disagreeing with their positions, the way I did, say, with the Reagan Republicans. I'm just turning away in disgust.
Sorry for the rant.

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